Container



y 1942- I E. HILDEBRANDT 2,290,749

CONTAINER Filed Dec. 6, I938 u ZIMW Ema/7" azm zdgbmlw Z k H m Patented July 21, 1342 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Edward Hiidebrandt, Seattle, Wash.

Application December 6, 1938, Serial No. 244,276

1 Claim. (01. 229-55) My invention relates to improvements in containers and has to do, more particularly, with the fabrication of air-tight shipping and storage receptacles for the packaging of foodstuffs,-

pharmaceutical preparations and the like which are subject to deterioration under exposure to the atmosphere.

My invention is concerned with the attainment of two purposes which, hitherto, have been relatively incompatible. The first is substantialhermeticity of sealing in a paper or paper composition box. The other is compactness in lot shipmentancl storage which is achievable only with containers the sides of which are plane to permit f ull facial contact of one container with its neighbors in a carton and avoid vacant spaces therebetween. In paper boxes of rectangular or other polygonal cross-section, it has been extremely difiicult to provide a closure which may be effectively reused during intermittent consumption of the product packaged in the box. It is to the inexpensive accomplishment of this end that my invention is directed.

It is, accordingly, a primary object of my invention to provide a simple paper box construction of polygonal form having an initially substantially hermetically sealed closure capable of repeated reuse to exclude air and atmospheric moisture. 1

It is an object of my inventionto provide'a paper box construction of polygonal cross-section which includes an initially sealed but repeatedly reusable closure element which is hinged to the box proper and insured against inadvertent loss.

It is an object of my invention to provide a rectangular or other polygonal closure construction for paper boxes which is free from seams and. tendency to burst or split under severe use and handling.

It is an object of my invention to provide a paper ibox construction having a friction lid or closure which is hinged to a side of the box proper and is of such design as to permit facile reuse.

It is an object of my invention to provide a rectangular paper box closure which may :be manufactured without the notching operations heretofore required.

It is an object of my invention to provide a sturdy rectangular paper box friction closure which can be fabricated from flat sheet :blanks by a single automatic pressing operation.

and economies of construction and use will more definitely appear to those skilled in the art upon familiarization with the detailed description to follow. In one instance, I accomplish the objects of my invention by the means and methods set forth in the following specification. My invention is clearly defined in the appended claim. One structure constituting a preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a paper box provided with a closure constituting a preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the fiat paperboard blank from which the closure illustrated in Fig. 1 may be formed by a single embossin operation, said. blank having, lightly secured thereto as with several small spots of adhesive, a thin membranous liner which is capable. of embossment into complementarism with the paperboard blank proper;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional-view of said .blank disposed between the dies by which it is embossed;

Fig. 4 is a similar but transverse sectional view .closure and the lined container'upon which it is about to be installed, the supporting instrumentalities of the automatic assembling machine being unillustrated;

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view of the clo sure and the adjacent end of the container body with which it has been assembled; and v Fig. 8 is a view of the same parts as shown in Fig. 7, the closure proper having been lifted to hinge along one top edge of the container .body, and the closure liner having been cut out and removed.

The same reference numerals refer to like I parts throughout the several views.

Referring, now, to the specific structural features of the embodiment-illustrated in the ac- Lastly, it is an object of my invention to pro- I companying drawing. there is shown a paperboard container body III of rectangular configuration provided with any suitably associated bottom II and having, complementarily disposed therein, a lining member 12 of any suitable membranous material impervious to air and mois- Further objects, and objects relating to details ture. The lining I! may be seamless or seamed in construction and is preferably secured to the container body III, II byspacedly distributed adhesive material I3. Preferably, the upper edge l2a of the liner extends slightly beyond the top edge of the paperboard body, as shown in Fig. 6.

My invention applies particularly to the top closure and to its mode of assembly with the dee scribed container body. Preferably, and as shown in Fig. 2, the closure is formed from a single flat blank of paperboard stock A provided with a thin liner portion B superficially secured thereto by small rupturable spots of adhesive 0.. The stock from which the closure portion A is cut may, as shown, be of lesser thickness than that of the container body [0. The liner portion B is substantially rectangular and is coextensive with.

the portion A except for the lateral arcuate wing portions A which are inclined.

The closure is formed from the blank A, B, by

embossment between a complementary pair of dies D, E, actuated by suitable pressure-applying means (not shown). These dies, in one operation, give to the blank A, B, the form illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 wherein the closure consists of a central, elevated rectangular panel l4, marginal panels l5, l6, I1 and I8 downwardly inclined from the elevated central panel, a seamless upstanding annular flange l9 of rectangular form snugly and frictionally receivable within the lined container body l0 adjacent its top edge, a laterally-outwardly and downwardly curled annular flange adapted to receive the end edge of the container body covered by the portion l2a of its liner,'and closure fastening portions 2| and 22 constituting downward extensions of the flange 20 along its two longer straight edges. The entire inner surface of the closure, with the exception of the portions 2|. and 22, is covered by the complementary liner 23 formed from the blank portion B shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 discloses the closure as it is produced by the embossing dies. Fig. 6 discloses the same closure provided, in the channel of its flange 20, with a small quantity of adhesive 24 for permanently securing the liner portions 23 and I2 together in hermetically sealed relation. The adhesive material 24 is preferably distributed upon the channel surface 20 in the form of a thin annular coating generally coextensive therewith, as shown, and a similar adhesive coating may be applied to the surface of the liner portion In which becomes contiguous thereto during assembly. Preferably, these adhesive coatings are thermo-setting and flow into community upon application of sealing heat and pressure to these container parts. Actual securement of the closure proper to the container proper is accomplished, as shown in Fig. 7, by constricting the flange. 2|] upon the top portion of the body .l0 and by securely gluing the wings 2| and 22 to the adjacent broad sides'of the body l2. Any suitable adhesive may be employed for this purpose, either thermosetting or otherwise, but, for a purpose later to be explained, it is desirable that at least one wing (22 here shown) be separable from the container body III by interposition of a knife orother blade.

Having thus described the structure of my container, its operation and utility should be readily apparent to those familiar with containers of the prior art and the disadvantages inherent thereto. As has been set forth, the salient purpose of my invention is to provide an entirely non-metallic polygonal shipping container been opened, to afford substantial protection for delicate contents while disposed on the consumers shelf and pending complete consumption. This capability of my container can be readily appreciated from the disclosure in Fig. '7 wherein the hermeticity of packaging afforded by the liners l2 and 23 sealed by the adhesive 24 is clearly depicted; and in Fig. 8 wherein the conthe liner 23 to the closure proper with the ad- 5 hesive spots C, much greater, and the liner 23 will remain attached to the liner l2 and must be removed, as by cuttingwith a sharp knife, to

afford access to the container contents 25. The

marginal portions of the liner 23 remaining attached to the marginal liner portions l2a, as shown in Fig. 8, serves to enhance frictional eontact of the constricted flanges l9 and 20 with like.

which may be continued in use, after having the top edge of the container proper. The reclosure of the container is therefore relatively secure, by reason of the fastening of the wing 2| and the friction fit just described. Moreover, the interfitting nature of the parts l0, l9 and 20 is such as to afford adequate protection for the contents 25 even though the storage period involved during their consumption is lengthy. Air, dust and atmospheric moisture are successfully excluded. When one of the wings 2|, 22

is employed as a hinge, the other serves well as a handle for closure opening purposes, which is of advantage due t the snugness of the friction fit of closure and container. Where the paperboard material employed is inherently stiff or is impregnated with a rigidifying material,

this friction fit approximates a snap" associadeparture from the basic ideas of my invention.

Likewise, containersof other polygonal forms can be improved by the inventive features herein set forth. Where the container is triangular or hexagonal in cross section, the number of wing portions 2|, 22 may be increased to three; one serving as the hinge and the other two as the detachable fastening means. The expressions paperboard, and paper are intended to include the various fibrous non-metallic equivalents recognized as equivalents in this art. Any of a large number of materials may be employed for the fabrication of the liner portions I2, 23, among which may be named waxed paper, transparent Celluloid or cellulosic films, foil and the Various adhesives are suitable for use at [3, 24 and C of the illustrated device. Furthermore, the impregnation of the paperboard portions of my container may be performed prior or subsequent. to the embossing operation, or omitted entirely, depending upon the characteristics desired in the finished product.

aaaogme preciation of the inventive concepts of my invention herein suggested. Accordingly, I claim my invention broadly, as indicated by the appended claim.

What I claim is: I

A rectangular shipping and storage container of paper construction comprising: a body portion constituted of .a plurality of heavy paperboard panels assembled as a rigid flat-sided tube, a closure for the bottom of said tube, a repeatedly reusable captive friction closure for the top of said tube, said top closure consisting of a single seamless sheet of lighter-weight paperboard than that of said tube embossed into the form of a central panel portion of less area than the top of said tube and disposable in the plane defined by the top edge thereof, a narrow marginal flange portion complementary to and snugly-receptive of the entire top edge of. said tube,

. a single pair of similar fiat wing-like extensions depending from a pair of parallel sections of said marginal flange and coextensive therewith, said extensions respectively overlying opposite flat sidesonly of said tube and fiatwise secured thereto to constitute a flexible paperboard hinge and a fastening tab diametrically opposite said hinge,

and an annular channel portion depending within said fiat sided tube and joining said central panel portion to said thus-hinged marginal flange outer component wall as hinged into and out of frictional engagement with said tube on one of said wing-like extensions and preclude swelling of the engaged portion of said relatively rigid tube by such hinging closure operation.

' EDWARD EBRANDT. 

